May I introduce you to "Hazel"

Hazel (Shirley Booth) holds a gentle and wonderful spot in my heart. I could watch episode after episode of this show and never grow tired. One of my biggest wishes is that Sony Home Entertainment would release the other 4 years of this show. It was one of my favorite TV shows when I was young. I can't tell you why the young girl in me loved her but maybe it was because she was oh so sassy or how deep her love was for those she cared for. My family had our own Hazel, although she did not live with us, she cared often times for my sister and me when my parents went away. Her name was Mrs Chamberlin.  She was the closest thing to a second mother I ever had.

In the fall of 2007 my 23 year old son had a massive heart attack while in his last days of training to become a police officer. Two years before that he had been deployed to Iraq with the 75th Ranger Regiment and two years before that to Afghanistan as part of a scout/sniper team. It had been a long and worrisome few years and just days before his heart attack I clearly remember thinking the worst was behind us. I was so blindsided with this event (obviously not more than he was) that I felt barely able to function in the weeks and months that followed, but Hazel saved me. I had ordered season one on Netflix and watched it over and over. It felt like the only time I smiled was watching this show.

That Christmas I went out to lunch with a friend of mine who had met my son a few days prior to his heart healing (that is what I call it now) and was at the hospital the day he was flown in. Here is a link to a blog post telling of that day. I had not spoken to her since that day in the hospital and at lunch I asked her to recount the story from her perspective of that day. She told me that after the call from my sister she went to find out where the cath lab was so she could be there for him, since I was still over an hour away from arriving. She went to the information desk of this large hospital and was met my an elderly volunteer who was more than willing to be of assistance. She told Marie where to go, but Marie was distressed and this women got up from behind the desk and said, "I'll take you there myself".

Marie started to describe this women to me. She said she was short and stout and was wearing "comfortable shoes" and then Marie got up from the lunch table and said she walked like this, arms pumping, slightly stooped over and determined to get her there as fast as she could. Marie said she was worried that she was going to have a heart attack keeping pace with her. After seeing Marie imitate this women I stated that she looked like Hazel (and I knew this because I had watched episode after episode recently). Marie's mouth dropped and she said, "How did you know her name?" and I said, "I didn't, I am talking about the TV show Hazel, you know Shirley Booth?" and Marie said, "But that's her name. Her name was Hazel".

I don't know in retelling this story if the impact of the coincidence is real for anyone other than me. But for me it is a whopper and Hazel (hospital Hazel) was another angel disguised as a human for me that day and somehow the energy of the other Hazel was showing this to me.

So with all that being said, today I need a sewing angel in my life and so I have decided to call my body form/body double "Hazel".

God bless hubby, I have put him up to some interesting assignments since starting this blog and although the eyes usually roll in a "Oh dear, what will be next" kind of look, he always says yes.

Here I am after he wrapped me up.

My imitation of the Tin Man.

No I can't breath or move.

I put a coat hanger in her and stuffed her up. But she was too big in the waist and behind. 

Don't know how that happened but I'm thinking it is because the human me can squish those areas a bit. I should have wrapped the duct tape really, really tight on the waist.

I ordered an IV pole from Amazon for $26.00 with free shipping. It is very heavy and on wheels and works just perfectly as a stand. It is adjustable, although the adjustable part is now stuffed within the body of Hazel, but I adjusted it to my height so I can see where dresses will be in relation to the floor.

Before I redid her she started busting out in the behind. Hazel had a real booty going on.

She has already helped with my sewing immensely. It was because of her that I was able to redo the darts on McCalls 5861 and get the buttons just right.

Hazel is my new BFF and I love her. 

 

 And thanks to ALL the Hazels in my life that have put a smile on my face and joy in my heart.